Hope you have some room in your trunk -- the largest Spanish Market is back this weekend, and it's promised to be full of artsy and foodie take-home goodness.
The two-day festival, at Heard Museum in Phoenix, will feature more than 70 artists from Arizona and New Mexico.
On to the shopping: We're talking jewelry, paintings, contemporary artworks, and traditional pieces such as Milagros (small metal sculptures), Santos (carved religious figures), and Reablos (paintings done with natural pigments and homemade gesso). All pieces are priced between $10 and $1,000.
Find out more about the 9th-annual festival, after the jump...
The collection of art will include a range of art and styles: Nick Otero will bring his traditional artwork to the table, Goldie Garcia will show off her funky glittery bottle cap earrings, and Jose A. Benevides will showcase his almost-too-cool-to-drive "art cars."
Jewelry designer Michelle Tapia is this year's featured artist. Tapia, winner of the Best of Jewelry at the 2009 Contemporary Hispanic Market in Santa Fe, uses Scrimshaw to create most of her pieces. The age-old technique involves etching onto ivory or bone using ink to hold the image.
Tapia's jewelry line is a collection of bright and fun pieces ranging from from cat and dog designs to small devotional pieces called Relicarios.
The museum's restaurant will also offer a menu of Hispanic and native-influenced cuisine with a view of Spanish Colonial-style arches that make up the Heard's courtyard. Keep your ears open; a strolling band will be playing live Mariachi music outside to set the vibe.
Once you've filled up on food, you can travel inside the museum, which is free on Sunday for Arizona residents, to see the national traveling exhibit Preston Singletary: Echoes, Fire, and Shadows. If you wander into the Steele Auditorium you may witness Ballet Folklorico Ollin Yoliztli performing folklorico dances. An added bonus for bookworms - the festival will include book signings by authors Barbe Await, Paul Rhetts, Charlie Carrillo, Jerry Montoya, and Kathy Murillo.
Heard Museum will host the Spanish Market November 13 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. The event is open to all ages, and admission is free. For more information, visit the event website.